See the stats: Ricky Martin’s staggering success

Ricky Martin’s career began when he was just 12 years old. While we were dealing with junior high worries (braces, acne, homework), Martin joined one of the most famous boy bands on the planet, Menudo. The Latino group had thousands of screaming fans all over the world. Five years and 11 albums later, Martin’s fame-filled ride with Menudo ended, and he decided to embark on his own.

The Puerto Rican singer took his talents to the stage as well as to the small screen. He appeared in the Spanish-language telenovela Alcanzar una estrella in Mexico and later joined the cast of the American soap opera General Hospital. How can we forget his character, Miguel (swoon)?

Music was always Martin’s passion, and he went on to release 10 albums (both in English and in Spanish). His breakout hit came in 1998 with the megahit “The Cup of Life,” the official song of the World Cup. The global hit reached No. 1 on charts around the world.

Nothing seemed to top the musician’s biggest hit to date — “Livin’ la Vida Loca.” It had Martin, and pretty much everyone else, shaking their bom boms. The song is even credited with igniting the Latin pop explosion of the ’90s, which opened the door for Shakira, Enrique Iglesias, and Jennifer Lopez. “Livin’ la Vida Loca” won 13 awards, including a Billboard Latin Music Award for Pop Track of the Year. “It was something that was never done before, and still that song moves people,” he said. It did more than move people — it catapulted him to superstardom!

If you ask Martin, however, being a father is one of his biggest accomplishments. He’s dad to fraternal twin boys Valentino and Matteo, who were born via surrogate in 2008. Earlier this year, he revealed that he had tied the knot with partner Jwan Yosef, another milestone for the singer.

The accolades just keep on coming. Martin is also celebrating his first Emmy nomination, for his supporting work in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. Martin was overjoyed by the recognition, tweeting, “I’m so happy and humbled by this nomination.”